Pocketed target



May 22, 1962 T. O. JOHNSTON POCKETED TARGET Filed May 29, 1959 UnitedStates Patent 3,035,838 POCKETED TARGET Timoleon 0. Johnston, 305 S.Summit Ave., Villa Park, 1]]. Filed May 29, 1959, Ser. No. 816,891 2Claims. (Cl. 273-105) This invention relates to a game or toy playedwith a ball.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a game or toy inwhich a ball receiving basket is positioned on the floor or ground inspaced relation to a vertical wall surface and in which the player aimsand throws the ball on the floor or ground so that it strikes thevertical wall surface and rebounds into the basket.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game or toy which tendsto incorporate some of the features of the game of basket-ball, whichrequires skill in the playing of same and which is highly recreational.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy or game whichutilizes a basket and a ball and which is played by throwing the ball sothat the ball strikes horizontal and vertical surfaces before itrebounds into the basket.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy or game which maybe played indoors or outdoors and which may be played competitively withany number of players.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing the manner in which the game or toy isplayed.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the toy in upright position.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the basket supporting member with the basketremoved.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the hoop of the basket, and

FIGURE 5 is a view of the toy in collapsed position with the basketremoved.

The physical structure of the toy or game includes a basket unitgenerally indicated at and a rubber ball generally indicated at 12. Thebasket unit is constructed so that it is readily collapsible forpackaging and for storage and comprises a basket supporting plate 14having spaced hinge ears 16 formed at the lower end thereof. Anotherplate 18 forming the base has a 'hinge ear 20 formed at the front endthereof adapted to be alined with and positioned between the ears 16 sothat a rod 22 hingedly connects the ears 16 and 20 and provides ahinging action for the plates 14 and 18.

Detachably secured to the front of the basket supporting plate 14 is abasket generally indicated at 24 which includes a netting material 26,secured at the top to a wire hoop 28 which is shaped in the form of ahalf circle. The netting 26 of the basket is closed at the bottom toretain the ball within the basket. The rear portions of the wire hoop 28are entwined and extend downwardly at right angles to the top of thehoop to form a stem 30. The plate 14 is provided with two forwardlyextending struck-out lugs or lips 32 and 34 positioned above each otherin vertical alinement, each having an opening to receive the stem 30 sothat the basket may 'be detachably secured to the plate 14.

The plate 14 is provided with two horizontally alined forwardlyextending lips 36 on which the wire frame 28 rests. The plate 14 is alsoprovided with two rearwardly extending struck-out cars 38 havingopenings for receiving the opposite ends of a wire member to bedescribed.

The base plate 18 is provided with a pair of spaced struck-out ears 40,each provided with a suitable opening Patented May 22, 1962 to receive agenerally rectangular shaped wire member 42 which is open at itsopposite end and has inwardly extending ends 44 to be received in theopenings of the ears 38 of plate 14. As shown in FIGURE 2, the plate 14is positioned at an angle of approximately with respect to the baseplate and consequently supports the basket 24 in the best manner toreceive the ball, as will be presently described.

To collapse the basket unit, the free ends 44 of the wire member 42 arepulled out of the ears 38 so that the plate 14 may be pivoted to aposition adjacent the plate 18, as best shown in FIGURE 5. The basket 24may be removed from the plate 14 so that when the netting is collapsedthe basket takes up very little space and may be packed in a smallcardboard container with the rest of the structure.

In playing the game, the basket structure is set up, as shown in FIGURE1, and is set on the floor or ground with the basket facing a verticalsurface, such as a wall, door or the like, in spaced relation to same. Ihave found that the basket should be positioned not less than four feetaway from the vertical surface. The player stands directly behind thebasket unit with the basket unit centered between the pl-ayers feet. Theplayer throws the ball on the ground or floor so that it bounces againstthe vertical wall and then rebounds into the basket. The scoring isdetermined by the ball bouncing into the basket 24.

The game requires a great deal of skill in getting the ball to reboundinto the basket, thus, it will provide a challenge to the child and atthe same time provide recreation for him. It may be played inside thehome or on the outside with equal facility. The toy is comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture and may be collapsed so as to require aminimum of packaging or storage space.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a base member adapted to rest on a floor or groundsurface, an upright member hingedly secured to said base member with thefront of said upright member facing forwardly in spaced relation to avertical wall surface with the player positioned rearwardly of theupright member, said upright member when supported in upright positionhaving a height less than the waist height of the player, a ballreceiving basket secured to the front of said upright member, said ballreceiving basket when said upright member is in upright position beingsupported on said upright member in close proximity to the floor orground surface and below the waistline of a player to receive a ballrebounding from the vertical wall surface, means extending between saidupright member and said base member for supporting said upright memberin upright position, said means adapted to be collapsed and whencollapsed positioned between said upright member and base member.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the means extending betweenthe upright member and base member comprises a U-shaped wire memberpivotally supported on one of said members and having ends detachablyengaging ears on the other member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,292,011 Monroe Ian. 21, 1919 2,247,852 Saunders July 1, 1941 2,818,254Dunn Dec. 31, 1957 2,873,969 Ziel Feb. 17, 1959 2,889,149 Williams June2, 1959

